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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitch — completely
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com